In
accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10
minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the
meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the meeting.
Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but
the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time
allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a
number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give
notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a
period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members
of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should
provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing
and should include the question with that notice. This will enable
an informed answer to be given.

At the previous
meeting, the Sub-Committee had considered a revised version of the
Planning Protocol on conduct which had been produced in the form of
a three page guidance note with key principles set out in a
bulleted list, supplemented by detailed supporting information.
Members had agreed a number of additional amendments to the content
and format of the Protocol and had resolved that:

(1)
the further amendments agreed by the Sub-Committee be incorporated
into the revised Planning Protocol of Conduct;

(2)
any further comments on the Protocol by Members of the
Sub-Committee be conveyed to [Democratic Services] by
14th February;

(3)
a revised version of the Protocol be submitted to the next meeting;
and

(4)
the issue of Planning Officers providing assistance to Members,
including reasons, in the event that a Planning Committee
determines an application against the recommendations of Officers,
and the issue of Officer presentations at planning committee
meetings, be raised at the next meeting of the Planning
Chairmen.

With regard to
resolution (4), the Officers reported that the Planning Chairmen
and Planning Officers had confirmed that there was an understanding
that Officers would assist Members in providing reasons for
determining an application against the recommendation of
Officers.

Members had before
them a second revision of the Protocol which incorporated the
amendments agreed at the previous meeting. This comprised a three
page summary document setting out the aim and purpose of the
Protocol and a list of 22 key points, supplemented by more detailed
guidance notes. Members noted that the guidance notes included
further guidance on predetermination, including advice on the form
of wording to use when calling in an application.

During consideration
of the Protocol, Councillor S Jones expressed concern at the
section of the supporting guidance dealing with the lobbying of
planning committee members and the acceptance of gifts or
hospitality. She wished the guidance to be amended to advise
individual members strongly not to attend meetings with developers
and lobby groups. Whilst other Members of the Sub-Committee were
content with the wording as it stood, Cllr Jones asked that her
concerns be placed on record.

The Sub-Committee
approved the revised document subject to the following
amendments:

the introductory
wording indicating that the Protocol applied to members of the
Strategic Planning Board and Northern and Southern Planning
Committees should be highlighted in bold text; and

paragraph 15 of the
summary should be amended to read (amendment shown in
italics):

“15. make sure you are present at the planning meeting for
the entire item,
including the Officers’ introduction and update, otherwise you cannot vote.”

paragraph 7.4 of the
supplementary guidance should be amended to read (amendment shown
in italics):

“7.4Remember that you can copy or
pass on any lobbying correspondence you receive to the Head of
Planning and Housing at the earliest opportunity or declare the
receipt of lobbying information at the planning
meeting.”

The Constitution Committee, at its meeting on
27th January 2011, had extended the terms of reference
of the Planning Protocol Sub-Committee to include a review of the
arrangements for public speaking at meetings of the Council’s
planning committees.

The Planning Protocol
on Public Speaking had been circulated with the agenda for
Members’ consideration.

Members’ key concerns related to the time allocated for
local ward members to speak and the fact that members and public
speakers were not able to use presentation aids when addressing the
planning committee. The background to these issues was discussed
with the Officers.

Members
agreed the following amendments to the Protocol:

Local
ward members who are not members of the planning committee should
each be given a period of up to five minutes in which to speak, and
they may in turn be cross-examined by the committee.

Paragraph 1.3 of the Protocol should be amended to read as
follows (additional wording shown in italics):

“1.3 In order to be fair to all
parties, no presentation aids will be permitted. Similarly, the
circulation of information, photographs and/or plans at the meeting
will not be allowed. However, the site plan will be
shown and may be referred to throughout the consideration of the
application.”

Members
were advised that the Planning Protocol on Public Speaking formed
part of the Council’s Constitution and any changes to it
required the approval of Council on the recommendation of the
Constitution Committee.The
Planning Protocol on Public Speaking had been developed by the
Strategic Planning Board as the body responsible for producing
protocols and procedures to facilitate the planning process.The amendments to the Protocol agreed by the
Sub-Committee therefore needed to be reported to the Strategic
Planning Board prior to final consideration by the Constitution
Committee.

RESOLVED

That
the amendments to the Planning Protocol on Public Speaking be
recommended to the Constitution Committee for approval by Council,
subject to any comments from the Strategic Planning
Board.